NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 13: The Ayodhya issue rocked the Lok Sabha again today with the entire opposition walking out despite Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's assurance that there was no "hidden agenda" and that the ruling National Democratic Alliance was committed to keeping the Ram Temple issue out of it.Vajpayee's declaration that the three controversial issues of Ayodhya, introduction of uniform civil code and scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir were out of the NDA agenda, came at the end of 45 minutes of heated exchanges between ruling and opposition benches during the zero hour.Dissatisfied with the prime minister's reference to NDA agenda, the opposition insisted that he clarify the BJP's position on the issue. With Vajpayee not taking the bait, angry opposition members staged a walk-out.The issue came up when Congress member Rajesh Pilot claimed that Tourism Minister Uma Bharati had declared on a television channel that the Ayodhya issue was "very much alive".His partycolleague Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi referred to UP Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta's statement that BJP would see to it that the Ram Mandir was constructed at Ayodhya and demanded a clarification from the Prime Minister.The opposition members were up on their feet when Vajpayee in his inimitable style said that members should not take these statements seriously.CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee said the Prime Minister was not being serious while other opposition members demanded that Vajpayee clarify BJP's position on the controversial issue.In his short intervention, Vajpayee said the opposition members were trying to raise the matter on the basis of newspaper reports. "I have also read these reports and tried to find out what was said. I am trying to get the full report," he said.Amid thumping of desks by opposition members, two BJP allies, Trinamool Congress and Telugu Desam Party, wanted the government to clarify the position in the light of the reported statements.K Yerrannaidu (TDP) suggestedthat the Prime Minister clarify in view of what had been published in newspapers while Sudip Bandopadhyay (TC) said his party would always oppose statements on the controversial issues which created doubts and confusion in the minds of the people."We are partners of the NDA on the basis of an assurance by BJP that these controversial issues would be kept out and the Prime Minister must clarify," he said, adding "he should also ensure that such statements are not made."Stating that the BJP, in its 1998 election manifesto, did refer to the controversial issues, Vajpayee said BJP decided not to have its own manifesto in the last elections and fought the polls on the joint manifesto of the NDA which made no no reference to them."It is amazing that you don't trust us what we are saying," he said and remarked, "you are perturbed because nothing happened on December six at Ayodhya or any part of the country" Vajpayee said."Some people tried to create problems at Kashi and they were promptly put behindthe bars, he added.
